Protector-rod holder for looms



May 26, 1925. Q 7 1,539,025

w. L. STEPHENS PROTECTOR ROD HOLDER FOR LQdMS Filed Dec. 13. 1922 Patented May 26, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

W. L. STEPHENS, OF DOUGLASVILLE, GEORGIA, ASSIGNOR TO M. E. GEEK, OF DOUGLASVILLE, GEORGIA.

PROTECTOR-ROD HOLDER FOR LOOMS.

Application filed December 13, 1922. Serial N0. 606,632.

To all whom 2'25 may concern.

Be it known that I, V. L. STEPHENS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Douglasville, in the county of Douglas and State of Georgia, have invented new and useful Improvements in Protector-Rod Holders for Looms, of which the following is a specification.

This invention generically appertains to shaft hangers, but it more especially comprehends a journaled hanger for use in cotton mills generally and in connection with looms particularly.

One object of this invention is to provide a stirrup or hanger of more rigid construction than those now in use, presenting a greater bearing surface and susceptible of withstanding longer and harder usage than those heretofore employed.

Another and important object of this invention is th provision of a shaft hanger or protector rod holder of the character specified embodying an adjustable and removable hearing or bushing, materially lengthening the life of the holder, and decreasing the cost of operation, by rendering possible the quick and expeditious removal and replacement of worn parts without the necessity of replacing the entire holder or hanger as is now prevalent.

With these and other objects in view, which will become apparent as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the construction, combination and arrangement of parts, hereinafter more fully described and claimed, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which like characters of references indicate like parts throughout the several figures, of which:

Figure 1 is a front elevation of the lay of a loom illustrating my invention secured thereto;

Figure 2 is a perspective view of my improved hanger detached from its support and showing the removable bearing in position, and

Figure 3 is a detail view on the lin 3-3 of Figure 2 showing the downwardly extending bearing brackets in central vertical section and the removable bearing positioned in said brackets in longitudinal section.

In certain types of factory machinery it is customary to employ bearings of the character specified formed of a one-piece casting; in looms this casting is known as the protector rod holder or stand and on one side of the holder the journal opening terminates in an outstanding flange which acts as a guide seat for a. coil spring. Owing to the action of this spring the said flange soon becomes worn, necessitating the substitution of a new casting. Also in view of the manner in which the casting is attached to the machine the screw holes become worn and the casting or holder has to be discarded and replaced by a new one.

It was to overcome the above deficiencies,

forming the subject matter of this invention.

In the illustrated embodiment characterizing this invention there is shown a base plate 9 embodying upstanding attaching flanges 10, said flanges being formed integral with opposite edges of the base plate and designed to be secured to a beam, lay-beam or other supporting medium 11 by means of screws or bolts extending through the openings 12.

On the under side of base plate 9 at right angles to the said attaching flanges and adjacent one edge of the plate are positioned the integrally formed depending ears or bearing brackets 13. These brackets are centrally apertured as at 14 to receive the tubular bearing 15, one end of which extends beyond one of the brackets, as at 16, to provide a support and guide for the spiral spring 17 or other mechanism carried by the rotatable or reciprocating shaft 18 journaled in the said bearing. The tubular bearing 15 is adjustable with respect to the extended end 16 and is secured in the brackets by the set screws 19.

In hangers of this particular type where they are designed to support oscillating shafts which are returned to their normal positions by a coil spring, it has been prevalent to construct them, as hereinbeforc mentioned, of a one-piece casting with only one upstanding flange and a singie depending ear or brcket, and experience has dem onstrated this form of bracket, owing to the great strain, vibration of the moving machinery, and shock incident to the operation of the protector mechanism, in view, of the small attaching area, the holes soon become elongated and assisted by the conse quent lost motion, the flange 16 which in this case is integral with the casting becomes worn, necessitating the substitution of a new casting. Therefore, in designing the hanger or protector rod holder forming the subject matter of this invention, I have provided a greater attaching area, admitting of more rigid securement of the hanger to the lay or other support, greatly increasingthe life of the hanger, and as the projecting flange 16 becomes more rapidly worn than any other part of the hanger, I have designed a detachable and adjustable tubular bearing embodying this flange, and have also increased the bearing surface which greatly decreases the wabbling and misalinement of the hearing, so that when in any particular it becomes 'worn the same may be inexpen sively and quickly replaced by a new bearing or bushing without having to substitute the entire hanger or holder. Likewise, th time heretofore required by stoppage of the machinery incident to the substitution of worn parts is greatly eliminated,

In practice, I have found that the form of my invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings and referred to in the above description, as the preferred embodiment, is the most efficient and practical; yet realizing the conditions concurrent with the adoption of my device will necessarily vary, I desire to emphasize that various minor changes in details of construction, proportion and arrangement of parts, may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claim without departing from or sacrificing any of the principles of this invention.

Having thus described my invention, and without enumerating variations and equivalents, what I desire protected by Letters Patent is as set forth in the following claim:

A casting having outstanding flanges at opposite edges on oneside, centrally apertured brackets integrally united and projecting from opposite side edges in spaced parallel relation on the other side, a removable tubular bearing transversely disposed between said brackets and having an end en- I gaged in the opening of each, one end being extended beyond the bracket, to provide a guide seat for a coil spring, and a clampsorew associated with each bracket and movable into binding engagement with the tubular bearing. I I H v V. L. STEPHENS. itnesses M. A. MARET, JOHN F. LONG. 

